The following U.S. patents are incorporated by reference herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,294,029 discloses a mount apparatus for a trolling motor having latching positions for the stowed and deployed conditions of the trolling motor. Locking the mechanism in either the stowed or deployed positions is accomplished solely by moving the shaft of the trolling motor assembly in a lever-like movement about a pivot axis which extends through the base and transmission structure of the mount apparatus. This locking procedure is accomplished without the necessity of moving the shaft in a direction which is generally parallel to its central axis. As a result, the locking movement required by an operator to latch the trolling motor in its deployed and stowed positions is ergonomically preferable to known types of systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,991,280 discloses a steering apparatus having variable steering ratios. An apparatus disclosed therein includes a steering drum to rotate about a longitudinal axis in a first direction and a second direction different than the first direction. The steering drum has a shape to provide a varying steering ratio when the steering drum is rotated.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,160,210 discloses rotary encoders for use with trolling motors. An example rotary encoder includes a housing defining an aperture and a linear guide and an input sleeve to extend through the aperture. The input sleeve includes an exterior guide to be engaged and followed by a shuttle to enable rotary position information to be obtained from the input sleeve. The shuttle is movably coupled within the linear guide. The shuttle is biased to engage a central portion of the exterior guide if rotation of the input sleeve moves the shuttle past first or second ends of the groove to prevent the rotary encoder from being damaged by over-rotation of the input sleeve.